CHAMBERSBURG >> After an impassioned plea to the judge that included heart-wrenching letters from family members and a monologue from the defense attorney, a Franklin County judge called an admitted heroin dealer a "cancer" and sentenced him to time in state prison.

Lamar Crumpler, 38, was sentenced by Franklin County Judge Carol Van Horn on Wednesday on seven counts, including heroin delivery, marijuana delivery, criminal use of a communication device and possession of paraphernalia.

Crumpler entered guilty pleas to all the counts on July 27, the day before he was scheduled to go to trial. Crumpler was sentenced to between four and eight years in state prison, plus thousands of dollars in fines, drug and alcohol treatment, and additional court costs.

The hearing began with Crumpler's private attorney, Brian Williams, explaining to Van Horn that coming from where Crumpler did, Crumpler is not the bad guy he could be. Williams said his client was surrounded by crack houses, in an area where only half his high-school class even graduated.

"He stayed fairly crime-free," Williams said of his client. "He avoided the violence going on around him."

Williams also said Crumpler's parents died when he was young, leaving him without family to guide him. After a few arrests when he was younger, Crumpler decided living in the area wasn't working for him, so he moved to get away. Williams said Crumpler wanted to step up and become a better father and was working hard to take care of his family. However, the heroin delivery charge came during a tough time financially for Crumpler's family, and Williams said his client started to get into trouble.

"He made a really bad choice," Williams said, but added "he's a good guy, a strong guy. This isn't like him."

Crumpler told Van Horn he wanted to apologize and that he knew he was wrong for selling heroin, which he said he did for between four and five months.

Van Horn told Crumpler it had already been a long journey with him. Crumpler was only willing to take responsibility for his actions hesitantly during Wednesday's hearing.

"You were a cancer in our community," Van Horn said of Crumpler's actions. "It is an explanation, not an excuse. This does not justify selling heroin."

Van Horn called Crumpler's letters from his family heartbreaking, but said that their suffering did not eliminate the need for Crumpler to take unconditional responsibility for his actions and for him to deal with the consequences.

"The courts are portraying your lifestyle as (that of) a monster," Van Horn said. "I believe it is a just sentence for your conduct."